Useful work: skill, dignity, and service

O people of Baha! It is incumbent upon each one of you to engage in some occupation--such as a craft, a trade or the like. We have exalted your engagement in such work to the rank of worship of the one true God. Reflect, O people, on the grace and blessings of your Lord, and yield Him thanks at eventide and dawn. Waste not your hours in idleness and sloth, but occupy yourselves with what will profit you and others.

Ye are the trees of My garden; ye must give forth goodly and wondrous fruits, that ye yourselves and others may profit therefrom. Thus it is incumbent on every one to engage in crafts and professions, for therein lies the secret of wealth, O men of understanding! For results depend upon means, and the grace of God shall be all-sufficient unto you.

One of the names of God is the Fashioner, and He has always loved and continues to love craftsmanship. Therefore, whoever among His servants manifests this name is beloved in the presence of the Wronged One.

Moreover, We have commanded all to occupy themselves with some business or profession. Blessed is the soul that beareth a burden and is not himself a burden unto others. They should engage in crafts and trades; a single coin earned thereby is, in the sight of God, more beloved than a treasure amassed by unrighteous means and made ready.

Senses and faculties have been bestowed upon us, to be devoted to the service of the general good; so that we, distinguished above all other forms of life for perceptiveness and reason, should labor at all times and along all lines, whether the occasion be great or small, ordinary or extraordinary, until all mankind are safely gathered into the impregnable stronghold of knowledge.

Stations of sanctification, detachment, acceptance, nearness and attainment unto His presence are not, and never shall be, incompatible with outward affairs. In this Most Great Revelation, all are commanded to engage in crafts, trades and professions, placing their trust in God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. This commandment hath been emphatically revealed in the Tablets.

It is permissible to study sciences and arts, but such sciences as are useful and would redound to the progress and advancement of the people.

… It is enjoined upon every one of you to engage in some form of occupation, such as crafts, trades and the like. We have graciously exalted your engagement in such work to the rank of worship unto God, the True One. Ponder ye in your hearts the grace and the blessings of God and render thanks unto Him at eventide and at dawn. Waste not your time in idleness and sloth. Occupy yourselves with that which profiteth yourselves and others.

The purpose of knowledge is the benefit of God's servants, and this has ever been and will continue to be the crafts and trades. He has ever said and continues to say: "Know ye the value of the craftsmen, for they have been and continue to be the cause and means for facilitating affairs."

Everyone should have some trade, or art or profession, be he rich or poor, and with this he must serve humanity.

Work is intended to give man self-assurance and dignity.

You must certainly strive to arrange some work for him so that he may pass his days in comfort and assurance. If a printing press is organized, employ him there, and if there is no printing press, arrange some other work for him. He deserves consideration and assistance.

In the Kitab-i-Aqdas, all have been commanded to engage in an occupation. Today, everyone who claims to love God must be engaged in some work. Whoever you observe to be idle, you should, through kind counsels and good advice, encourage them to work and earn. The good of all souls lies in this, and since it has been revealed by the Supreme Pen, its fruits will surely become manifest.

He teaches that it is incumbent upon all mankind to become fitted for some useful trade, craft or profession by which subsistence may be assured, and this efficiency is to be considered as an act of worship.

We beseech God that this purpose may be attained, and thou wilt learn such a skill, for according to the divine ordinances, every person must acquire a craft.

In short, the explicit command of Baha'u'llah is that every child, whether rich or poor, aristocrat or democrat, high or low must learn a trade, an art or a craft. This law must be incorporated in the constitution of every school. Supposing that a person is not in need, that economically speaking he is rich, even he, for the sake of obedience to the blessed command must acquire a profession. A Baha'i must correlate his actions, words and affairs with the basic principles of the Blessed Perfection.

All the Baha'i children must learn a trade or manual profession. This must be aside from their literary education. The study of foreign languages, such as English, French, German etc must be coupled with the study of an art, craft or profession. … Learn to do something in this world, no matter how small it may be. it is better to be a good carpenter, a fine shoemaker, a skillful physician, an accomplished engineer, an excellent gardener, a brilliant artist, a superior teacher, an inspired writer than to be an angel in heaven with nothing to do but to sing hallelujah and play on golden harp.

Therefore, although there were complaints of trials and difficulties, praise be to God you were engaged in service to all in your familiar homeland and the children succeeded in acquiring a craft, for craft is obligatory and required.

Similarly a young man desiring to lay a good foundation for his later life must devote his first few years to the study of his chosen profession and forget all pleasures and sports which divert him from accomplishing his main purpose. This is success and prosperity.

In the Cause of Baha'u'llah it is obligatory for the individual to engage in a trade or profession. For instance, I know mat weaving and you know another trade.

O servant of God! In your craft, be as diligent as you can, so that it may reach the utmost perfection and excellence, for perfection in all degrees is beloved.

Devotion to and love for one's vocation accomplishes miracles.

Now attend to your craft and apply effort. God willing, work will become organized.

You must, by whatever means possible, keep the shop going and engage in trade and commerce with the utmost endeavor.

All have been commanded to occupy themselves with some affair; therefore that honorable one should engage in some occupation, and blessings shall descend from the heaven of the bounty of thy Lord, the All-Bountiful, the Enriching, the Mighty, the Merciful.

At present you should occupy yourself with some work.

As for the matter of the apple of my eye, Aqa 'Inayatu'llah, upon him be the peace of God - it was presented before His presence and He said: "The True One, exalted be His glory, has loved and continues to love the craftsman. He should surely engage in a craft - this is beloved and acceptable."

And now, they had written that his honor Aqa Muhammad-Rida, upon him be 95 [Baha'u'llah], is engaged in a trade in the Land of Ta. This matter is adorned with the ornament of divine acceptance, for all are commanded in this day to pursue a craft, profession or trade, and the work of craftsmen is accounted as worship in God's Book. Well is it with them and pleasant it is unto them.

O Muhammad-i-Sadiq! Thy mention hath been made in the presence of the Wronged One, and the Most Exalted Pen hath, from the precincts of 'Akka, turned toward thee, declaring: Blessed is he who is engaged in a craft. Today, whosoever earneth his livelihood through his craft or profession is accounted among those who are nigh unto God, and his deeds are recorded as worship in God's Book.

Blessed is he who gazeth toward the Most Exalted Horizon and acteth according to the command of the Lord of Names, and blessed is he who in these divine days is engaged in a handicraft. This is a bounty from God, for in this Most Great Revelation engagement in that which preventeth man from expectation is acceptable before God.

Attend to your affairs, for God loves not a servant who walks the earth without engaging in some occupation. He has refused to cause things to happen except through their means, and thus has it been ordained in the Tablets of mighty preservation. Say: O servants of the All-Merciful! Engage yourselves in some occupation or craft. Thus has God willed in this most impregnable and wondrous Revelation.

Regarding agriculture, He has given a general ruling in these matters, which is that it is obligatory for every soul to engage in a profession, agriculture, or craft, and that very work itself is worship in the sight of God, even if one tarries but a day in any land.

We have ordained the pursuit of a profession for every soul - thus hath the matter been decreed in a preserved Tablet.

Likewise, We have enjoined upon all to engage in some occupation. Blessed is he who beareth burdens but causeth none to bear his own. Let him engage in craft and profession - a single coin earned thereby is, in the sight of God, more beloved than the treasure that is gathered unrightfully and made ready.

As to the affairs of this world: from the heaven of the divine Will the ordinance of gainful occupation and honest endeavor hath been sent down.

Certainly, absolutely be free from such a detestable group and occupy yourself with trade and business, and continually supplicate and implore at the divine threshold, and pray for our good.

O ye two who are attracted to the Divine Beauty! Every person in this world is occupied with some pursuit and familiar with some matter. One charges forth in the political arena, another arranges battle formations, another hastens to the field of commerce and industry, and yet another strives mightily to amass worldly ornaments.

However, the way of the Prophets and their teachings is that humans must be healthy and occupied in order to be able to serve humanity.

If due to physical weakness and unemployment one does not commit injustice against anyone, this is not a sign of perfection. Rather, perfection lies in having capability and occupation yet not committing injustice.

You can engage in work of an uplifting kind- the kind that will tend to lift one out of the sense world into the world of morality not the kind that is degrading.

Today the foundation of all affairs has been and is service to God's Cause, and it is best for His loved ones in every land to engage in outward affairs, for they can thus convey a word of truth to people or render some service to the friends.

Now, what dost thou desire? Why art thou sorrowful? Be thou ever happy. Now I will tell thee the essence of service: Share your time with God. Spend half of the day in search of livelihood, guaranteeing your material life and dignified appearance, and dedicate the other half in the acquisition of moral virtues and service at the threshold of God. That is all.

Therefore this is the time of joy and gladness, and the moment of resurrection and revival. Be confident in the grace of the All-Merciful and occupy thyself with thy profession in obedience to the command of thy Chosen Lord.

You should also endeavour to engage in some useful occupation, or by training yourself to have such an occupation, as work in itself another means at our disposal, in accordance with our Teachings, to draw nearer to God, and to better grasp His purpose for us in this world.

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